6 things you didn't know about Father's Day
Today is Father's Day: the day that I find terribly commercial and cozy at the same time, just like Mother's Day. Yet, I feel that there is always more advertising for Mother's Day than for Father's Day. I actually find that quite sad, because those super dads also deserve a little extra attention now and then, and that's why I made a delicious breakfast for my dad this morning and I'm giving him a double dose of love today.
But where does Father's Day actually come from? Who came up with it and why is it important that we celebrate it? We actually know very little about this day. That's why I've put together some interesting facts about Father's Day and fathers.
1. Father's Day was conceived during Mother's Day
On Mother's Day in 1909, Sanora Smart Dodd came up with the idea to organize a special day for her father as well. Her mother had passed away, and her father, a Civil War veteran, raised her alone. With this holiday, she wanted to thank him for everything. Additionally, she wanted to make the statement that fathers should help more with parenting, which was not just a task for women. What a beautiful and sweet gesture from her. President Richard Nixon ensured in 1972 that this became an official holiday. He signed a law, and as a result, every third Sunday of June is Father's Day.
2. The most given gift is a tie
Coming up with a gift for a man is an impossible task anyway, let alone for your father. Often, I don't come up with very original gifts like a tie, book, or aftershave. Fortunately, those dads are easily satisfied, and it turns out I'm not the only one with these fantastic ideas. Each year, 13.3 billion euros are spent worldwide on Father's Day gifts. That's quite a lot of ties.
3. Father's Day is the third largest holiday for sending a card
According to Hallmark (the well-known card brand), Father's Day is the third largest holiday for buying a card. In the United States, 93 million cards are sold on Father's Day. Above that is (of course) Mother's Day with 141 million cards. In second place is the most commercial day of all: Valentine's Day, with 151 million cards. The most cards are sold for the Christmas holidays.
4. Fathers actually don't like Father's Day that much
What is this? I don't believe that. Yet, it has been shown in ‘The Great Father's Day Survey’ that more than half of fathers do not find this day that enjoyable. More than 2000 parents participated in the research. Well, great, should we just scrap this day then?
5. A father's love is more important later than a mother's love
The mental well-being of adults partly depends on the love they received from their father as a child. This is evident from a meta-analysis of 36 studies. One explanation could be that children look up to their fathers more, which makes the attention from fathers have a greater effect on a child's self-confidence. Additionally, research shows that daughters who have a good relationship with their father are less likely to be depressed and less often develop eating disorders. Okay, let's not stop celebrating Father's Day despite that survey.
6. Single fathers do just as well as single mothers
Researchers from Ohio State University found that teenagers with single fathers perform just as well in school and behave just as well as children of single mothers. So, it wasn't such a bad idea from Sanora Smart Dodd to organize a special day for fathers.
Sources: Metronieuws, Margriet, Hallmark, well-informed circles
